Snogging Rose Weasley
by drcjsnider
Summary: Rose Weasley has ways to get what she wants and she wants to kiss Scorpius Malfoy.


Title: Snogging Rose Weasley  
Author: **drcjsnider**  
Pairing: Rose/Scorpius  
Rating: PG-13  
Word Count: 6,214  
Summary: Rose Weasley has ways to get what she wants.  
A/N: Written for the livejournal **7snogs** challenge. Great big thanks to my wonderful beta, **kazfeist**!

This was going to be the worst summer of Scorpius' life. Not only had his parents separated, but he was stuck at the Manor with his grandparents for two months while his mother partook of an intensive spa treatment and his father took care of business affairs in Asia.

Luckily for the boy's sanity, he and Albus had figured out how to drop the wards protecting the Potters' roof. This had allowed Scorpius to Apparate to Al's place in the evenings after his grandparents had gone to bed. Once there, he, Al, and Rose sat outside the window and watched the stars.

The young Malfoy found the monotony of the experience strangely satisfying. He wasn't used to being unproductive for long periods of time. His mother had insisted that idle hands were the Dark Lord's playground. Therefore, almost every minute of Scorpius' childhood had been structured with tutors, lessons, or physical activities. His sorting into Ravenclaw had kept him similarly active. Classes, homework, and setting up study sessions took most of his time. His only entertainment was attending Quidditch matches and participating with Al in the Hogwarts' Chess Club.

Scorpius liked facing Al over the chess board. They were equally deliberative in their moves and their matches tended to last an hour or more. It was during these frequent sessions that he'd become friends with the Gryffindor.

It wasn't until this summer that he'd ever spent any time with Rose. At Hogwarts, she was always busy with some master plan to become the most influential witch in school, or get onto the Slytherin Quidditch team, or convince the Headmistress to increase the number of Hogsmeade weekends granted to students each year. Scorpius had only spoken to her about a dozen times during their six years together at Hogwarts and each time she'd attempted to wheedle homework off of him.

She was much more laid back while sitting on the Potters' roof. Al had confided in him that Rose enjoyed the relaxation from scheming that summer provided.

One evening toward the end of June, Scorpius Apparated to Al's roof and discovered that only Rose was sitting there.

"Where's Potter?"

"He's on a date," she replied, not looking at him.

Scorpius sat beside her. "He didn't mention it yesterday."

Rose shrugged. "He ran into Judy Longbottom in Diagon Alley today."

Scorpius nodded. He felt a bit awkward sitting next to Rose without her cousin between them. It felt too intimate.

"Can I ask you a question?" Rose turned toward him, her eyes large and troubled.

"Sure."

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

Scorpius choked. "Why do you want to know?"

Rose dropped her eyes and Scorpius suspected she was blushing. "It's just… well… when I broke up with Francesco Zabini at the end of the school year he told me it was no big loss since I kissed like a Third Year."

"He probably just wanted to hurt you."

"Maybe," she replied looking back toward the stars. "So have you?"

"Kissed a girl?"

"Yeah."

"Sure," Scorpius told her. It wasn't a lie. He had dated a Fifth Year Ravenclaw for three months last year. And although he wasn't as experienced as Zabini, he had snogged the girl – repeatedly.

She turned toward him again. "Could you kiss me? Give me an unbiased evaluation of my performance?"

Scorpius swallowed hard. Rose was a good looking, popular girl. In the regular course of events, he never would have contemplated asking her out because he didn't care for rejection. "I'm not sure…"

"Please, Scorpius. There isn't anyone else I would trust to do this."

Nodding slowly, Scorpius leaned toward her. He felt like an idiot. Who was _he_ to judge her kissing? Yet, at the same time, it seemed cruel to just turn her down – cruel and stupid. No unattached male Hogwarts student would voluntarily decline an opportunity to snog Rose Weasley.

She closed half the distance between them and when their lips touched, a shiver of electricity seemed to course through Scorpius' body. As her lips began to caress his, Scorpius' right hand reached out to grasp her upper arm lightly. At his touch, Rose shivered and her tongue darted out to run along his bottom lip. When he opened his mouth, she pushed into it stroking her tongue against his. Scorpius ran his hand up from her arm to cradle the back of her head, while his tongue chased Rose's into her mouth. He didn't break away from her until he felt her fingers on his jaw and heard a soft mewling come from her throat.

Rose stared at him, her chest rising rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. "So? How was I?"

"Zabini is an idiot," Scorpius told her with a grin. "That kiss was amazing, completely satisfactory."

Rose returned his grin before looking back at the stars. "Thanks, Scorpius. You kiss really well, too. Still," she started, letting the word hang in the air for several seconds, "if you ever want to practice, just owl me."

Scorpius' smile broadened as he leaned back on his arms. This was going to be the best summer of his life.

Two nights later, when Rose Apparated onto the roof outside of Al's window, she slipped on her landing and tumbled into Scorpius' lap.

Her cousin laughed. "Merlin, you're clumsy."

Scorpius smiled at her, his hands warm on her waist.

"Bugger off," Rose replied, sliding off of Scorpius and settling down between him and Albus.

"How come you are so late?" her cousin asked.

"We had company tonight," she replied. "I couldn't get away until after they left."

"Anyone interesting?" Scorpius inquired. He didn't really care, but he enjoyed hearing her warm voice.

"The Finnegans and the Thomases came for dinner and pudding."

"Did Matt Finnegan ask you out again?" Al wanted to know.

The middle Finnegan boy had graduated Hogwarts in May. He'd had a crush on Rose since his fifth year, but she'd never given him any encouragement. Of course, she'd never told him she would never be interested either. Not only did she not want to offend the son of one of her parents' best friends, but it was bad strategy to burn bridges that you might one day need to cross.

"Yeah. I also had to spend the evening listening to him complain about job hunting."

"Where's he been looking," Al inquired.

Scorpius wanted to hex his friend. Why was he asking about Finnegan's employment future, rather than whether or not Rose had agreed to go on a date with Irish prig? Scorpius would have asked her himself, but he was afraid it would make him look jealous or possessive. Attitudes, he assumed, a girl like Rose Weasley would not tolerate.

As Rose and Al chatted about Finnegan's non-existent job prospects, Scorpius felt his stomach getting tighter and tighter. So what if Rose dated the ponce? It wasn't like Scorpius had any claim to her. They had kissed once – as an experiment. It was hardly the beginning of a commitment on either of their parts. Nevertheless, the blond could now admit to himself that he'd been hoping for a repeat performance – several repeat performances.

"So when are you going out with him?" he finally asked her, unable to stop himself.

Rose glanced toward him, her eyes twinkling, and a tiny smile on her face. "I'm not. Matt's a nice enough bloke, but I've never felt any sparks for him. I try to make it a policy to only date men who make my stomach do a little flip when I see them."

"Speaking of stomach flipping," Al said, rising. "I told Judy I'd Floo her before midnight. I'll be back in about fifteen minutes."

Scorpius watched Al climb through the window and into his room. "So he's got it bad for Longbottom?"

"Looks that way," Rose responded, her smile broadening.

If Scorpius was a Gryffindor this would have been the perfect opportunity to ask Rose if _she_ fancied anyone or even if she felt like getting in a little snogging practice. However, since he was a Ravenclaw and Rose was a Slytherin, he knew that if she was really interested in him it wouldn't be long before she figured out a way to kiss him again. He couldn't keep the grin off his face at the thought.

Rose raised her eyebrow. "What's with the smirk, Malfoy?"

"I was just contemplating the benefits of being a Ravenclaw."

"Yeah… all those late nights spent in the library and never having to stress about winning the Quidditch championship," Rose teased.

Scorpius nodded, his grin growing wider. "And those are only the benefits we put in the brochure. You should see the secret list we keep in the common room."

Rose laughed. "I don't know if I like your attitude, Malfoy."

"Then it is probably a good thing that the world doesn't revolve around making you happy," Scorpius joked.

"But just think of how much more fun we'd be having if it did," she sighed, trying to look innocent.

"Why? What would we have to be doing to make you happy?" he asked, genuinely curious about what she wanted to do.

Now it was Rose's turn to smirk. "Well, I'd still be sitting in your lap and you'd have your tongue –"

Rose was in Scorpius' arms, with his lips pressed against hers, before she could finish her sentence. The two did not break apart until Al stuck his head out the window and threatened to turn the hose on them.

As they sat back, pleased looks on their faces, each felt supremely satisfied that their plans to kiss again had gone so smoothly.

-0-0-0-

Al, Scorpius, and Judy Longbottom were sitting in the _Leaky Cauldron_ waiting for Rose to finish her conversation with the Warrington twins. The four of them had showed up in Diagon Alley two hours ago for lunch. Much to Scorpius' annoyance, however, Rose had spent most of her time flitting back and forth between their table and a multitude of Slytherin Quidditch players who 'just happened' to also be in Wizarding London Alley at the same time.

Judy glanced up toward the bar where Rose was using her hands to demonstrate some Quidditch strategy to the twins. "Your cousin seems really engrossed in whatever she's talking about," Judy told Al with an indulgent smile on her face.

Al nodded. "Yeah, I think she is trying to gain the support of team members to become next year's Captain."

"Really?" Judy said, blinking rapidly. "I don't think Slytherin has ever had a female Captain before."

"They haven't," Al confirmed. "That's why she's working so hard at winning the other players' confidence. She has to overturn generations of precedence."

"Do you think she'll be much longer?" Judy asked. "I really need to get down to _Flourish and Blotts_ before I head back to Hogsmeade."

"You two go to the bookstore," Scorpius told his tablemates. "I'll wait for Rose. Once I tear her away from her housemates, we'll meet you at _Wheezes_."

"Thanks!" Al smiled, hopping out of his chair before helping Judy rise. "We'll see you in about an hour?"

Scorpius nodded and turned his eyes back to Rose, not paying attention as Al and Judy walked out of the pub.

About fifteen minutes later, Rose bid farewell the Warringtons and skipped back to the table occupied by Scorpius. "Where are Al and Judy?"

"They got bored and decided to go shopping."

Rose nodded. "Should we go catch up with them?"

Scorpius pushed back his chair slowly. "Sure, if you have time given all your other social responsibilities."

Rose gave Scorpius a pointed look as she caught the sarcastic tone of his voice. "Do you have a problem, Malfoy? If so, just spit it out."

Scorpius shook his head. There was no point in pissing Rose off if she was done playing Mara Hari. Of course, he realized the inaccuracy of his assumption that she was _done_ the moment they stepped out of the _Leaky Cauldron_ and ran into Francesco Zabini.

"Oi, Weasley!" Zabini called.

"Fuck," Rose murmured under her breath before flashing the Slytherin her most heart-stopping smile. "Hey, Francesco. How are you doing?"

"I was doing a hell of a lot better before I heard you were trying to take my spot as Quidditch Captain," he growled at her.

"Lay off, Zabini," Scorpius interrupted, stepping between Rose and Francesco.

Rose placed a hand on Scorpius' arm. "Why don't you go and catch up with Judy and Al? I'll meet up with you later."

Scorpius turned to face her. He was incredulous that she was dismissing him in favour of speaking to Zabini. "You aren't serious?"

"You'll learn soon enough, Malfoy, that Rose ranks her companions based on what they can do for her. And right now, I'm much more significant to her future plans than you are," Zabini drawled.

Rose's grip on Scorpius' arm tightened and she peered around him to look at her former boyfriend. "If you could keep your testosterone in check for another minute, Francesco, I'd be happy to explain what I've been discussing with our teammates." She then looked back at Scorpius. "Go ahead. I'll see you tonight at Al's."

Taking a step away from her, Scorpius shook his head. "I don't think so," he spat before stalking off in anger.

After pacing Diagon Alley for almost half an hour, Scorpius was surprised when a hand reached out from a path between _Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes_ and _Ollivander's_ to pull him off of the street.

"Rose?" he asked, as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

"Listen, Scorpius," she began, turning her head slightly towards Diagon Alley to make sure no one was coming after him. "My life at Hogwarts is about getting things accomplished. I spend three-fourths of everyday trying to organize things in a way that benefits me, my friends, and my house. These arrangements involve me spending a lot of time with a great number of people, some of whom are wankers. This does not mean that I enjoy my dealings with the aforementioned wankers, it only means that I need to work with them in order to get what I want. Working with them, moreover, is not an indication of who I'd rather be spending time with. Do you understand?"

"Sure. I understand that you'd sell your friends and family down the river if in the short-run you could get out of doing your potions homework or win twenty points for Slytherin."

Rose blushed. "Nobody I care about has ever been hurt from any of my schemes."

"You think Al, Judy, and enjoyed sitting around all day waiting for you to finish flirting with the entire Slytherin Quidditch team? Do you think I'm used to being sent away like a House Elf by my friends because it is no longer _convenient_ for me to be around? Or is the only agenda that matters your own?" Scorpius asked her heatedly.

"Hey! No one asked you three to sit around in the _Leaky Cauldron_ all day. Moreover, I wasn't dismissing you. I just thought you might get bored listening to me and Francesco discuss Slytherin issues. I wasn't committing some act of betrayal."

"Rubbish!" Scorpius ground out, pulling his arm out of Rose's grasp. "The only one you were trying to make more comfortable was yourself. I refuse to be friends with someone who is only interested in being together when it is advantageous for her."

With surprising quickness, Rose spun Scorpius around and pushed his back against the wall. She held him there with a hand against his chest. "Hey, I like spending time with you. I just needed to take care of a few odds-n-ends first."

"Meeting five different blokes over a two hour period is not _odds-n-ends_," Scorpius informed her, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. "I don't need to be at the top of your priority list all the time, Rose. But I better damn well be there when we make plans together, otherwise there will be no more plans between us."

For a moment, it looked like Rose was going to argue. In the end, however, she clamped her lips together and nodded slowly. "You're right," she admitted. "I won't do that to you again. Stay in London tonight and let me make it up by taking you to dinner."

Scorpius was silent for several seconds, his face unreadable. "Alright," he replied finally, squeezing her fingers gently. In response, Rose closed her eyes and leaned toward him for a kiss. He met her lips and relaxed for the first time that day. Somewhere in the far back of his mind, Scorpius knew it was dangerous to develop feelings for this witch. She was selfish, ambitious, and stubborn. For once in his life, however, he allowed emotion rather than intellect to control his actions.

After apologizing again for ignoring him all afternoon, Rose had grabbed his hand, pulled him into the _Leaky Cauldron_, and ordered two roast beef sandwiches to go. She'd then dragged drug him to a park in Muggle London where she proceeded to snog the daylights out of him while their dinner lay forgotten on the picnic table.

Scorpius was positive that this dinner was the best meal he'd never eaten.

As Scorpius sat astride a bench with Rose's legs draped over his thighs and her palms pressed against his back, he felt like he was on the verge of some amazing discovery. However, every time he got close to figuring out that tantalizing idea which would change his entire world, Rose would moan into his mouth or brush her breasts against his chest and he wouldn't be able to think of anything but how fucking amazing she felt in his arms.

It was in the middle of one of these mindless moments that Scorpius' hands slipped from Rose's waist to cup her ass. Seconds later, a surge of magical energy blasted them apart. Scorpius scrambled for his wand until a deep rough voice broke though his panic. "Don't draw that wand unless you want to be walking funny for the rest of your life, boy."

"Daddy!" Rose yelped.

_Oh fuck_, Scorpius thought, leaping to his feet to stand in front of a tall, broad-shouldered man, to whom, thankfully, Rose bore no resemblance, except for hair and eye colour.

"Do you want to explain just what the hell you were doing to my daughter?" Ron Weasley demanded angrily.

Scorpius swallowed. He was fairly certain Mr. Weasley would not respond well if he admitted to feeling Rose up. Luckily, he was saved from answering by the girl under discussion.

"What do you think he was doing, Dad? Checking my teeth for cavities with his tongue?"

Ron turned and pointed his finger at her. "That's enough from you. You were supposed to be with your cousin."

"Al ran off with Judy Longbottom and abandoned me!"

"So you just hooked up with the next available bloke who came along?"

"Of course not," Rose pouted, sticking out her bottom lip and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Scorpius is my boyfriend."

_Boyfriend? Alright. Sure. Why not?_ Scorpius thought. _It's a bit sudden and it would have been nice to have actually been asked, but we'd been moving in that direction. Besides, a bloke could do a lot worst than having Rose Weasley as a girlfriend._ Scorpius nodded in affirmation to Rose's comment when Mr. Weasley turned back to look at him.

"Scorpius? Scorpius Malfoy?"

Scorpius continued nodding.

"Godric H. Gryffindor! I knew that nothing good could ever come out of you getting sorted into Slytherin. First, you date that prat, Zabini. And now that you are finally rid of him, you start seeing another snake."

"Scorpius is not in Slytherin," Rose informed her father.

"Well, that is one thing to be thankful for," Ron grumbled, his gaze sweeping appraisingly over Scorpius. "He's also much less mouthy than his old man."

"And a better kisser," Rose chirped.

"What?!" Ron and Scorpius both exclaimed, their jaws dropping open.

"Sheesh. It was a joke," Rose informed them. She then turned on her heel, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and began to walk back to the _Leaky Cauldron_.

Scorpius began to follow her, but a heavy hand on his arm stopped him. "You'll save yourself a lot of heartache, Malfoy, if you break up with her now."

Scorpius nodded. "Yes, sir. But it's too late. I already like her too much."

Ron watched as the young man ran to catch up to Rose and take her hand. He shook his head and then began to follow the pair at a more leisurely pace.

-0-0-0-

Scorpius loved being Rose's boyfriend and not just because of all the snogging – although that was bloody fantastic. He loved just spending time with her. She was fun. She was exciting. It was impossible to be bored while Rose was in the room. Even the witches and wizards who weren't her immediate friends seemed to perk up and become more animated in her presence. Scorpius had never known anyone like her before.

Unfortunately, he didn't get to spend much time with her. His grandparents expected him to be at the Manor all day - everyday. Trying to get permission to leave and meet with his friends was like facing down the Spanish Inquisition – from an interrogator who knew how to torture and maim. Nevertheless, each evening after Lucius and Narcissa had gone to bed, he met up with her at Al's. The three of them would sit on the roof chatting, joking, and dreaming about the future. And when Al went inside every night to Floo Judy, Scorpius and Rose could finally be alone.

Most of the time they just talked and kissed, although once Rose had straddled his hips and ground her body against him until he'd blown his wad in his pants. He'd reddened in embarrassment, but she'd grabbed his chin and told him she'd never felt sexier or more desired than she did with him. It was enough to drive him mad. Always drawn toward logical and rational explanations for events – Scorpius couldn't help but wonder what someone as special as Rose saw in him. This characteristic undoubtedly accounted for why he'd grasped at the rationale Lily Potter had presented to explain Rose's interest in him.

He'd just Apparated to Al's when Lily crawled out of her brother's window and sat down next to him. She was a cute girl, petite, with straight auburn hair, and big green eyes. Once, Scorpius would have appreciated these facts, but lately the only girl who caught his eye was Rose.

"It might be awhile before Al and Rose get here," Lily informed him.

"How come?"

"They are getting a lecture from the 'rents," she said with a slight smile. "I doubt it's serious though because Uncle Ron and my Dad are doing all the talking. If it was really bad, Aunt Hermione would be handling it."

Scorpius nodded vaguely and looked out over the moonlit trees. He hoped that whatever trouble Al and Rose had gotten into wouldn't prevent them from meeting with him tonight. He always felt a bit unsettled when he didn't get to spend at least a little time with his friends at the end of the day.

"I was surprised to hear you were dating Rose," Lily said, breaking into his thoughts.

_You and me both_, Scorpius thought.

"I assumed you were too smart to fall for her ploys."

"What?" Scorpius had no idea what Al's little sister was talking about.

"She's been planning on dating whoever was Head Boy ever since Fifth Year," Lily told him. "You just happen to be the bloke who is going to get the position."

"I'm not going to be Head Boy," Scorpius replied. There was a _possibility_ he might get the spot, but it could just as easily go to Francesco Zabini. Zabini and Scorpius typically vied for the highest grades in all their classes. Moreover, since a Slytherin hadn't been Head Boy for almost a dozen years, it made sense that the faculty would select him.

"Please," Lily scoffed, turning to face him. "You are a shoo-in, especially since Zabini is no longer a contender."

"Why is Zabini no longer a contender?"

"I don't know the details," she murmured, looking around as if she didn't want to be overheard. "However, it was something so bad that Professor McGonagall almost stripped him of his prefect badge at the end of the school year. Why do you think Rose broke up with him?"

Scorpius shrugged. He had no clue why Rose had dropped Zabini. He had just been thankful that she had been unattached.

"The moment Zabini was no longer a possible Head Boy candidate, I knew she'd set her sights on you," Lily said smugly. "I'm just surprised you're interested in her. She's not exactly the kind of girl you usually date. She's hardly serious about anything, she doesn't get good grades, and she's not a pure-blood. Why let her use you? You're so much better than that."

Scorpius sat in stunned silence. _Was Lily right?_ It did explain why Rose had initially kissed him. It also explained her abrupt break-up with Zabini. His stomach churned. It was too much to process.

Lily laid her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. "If you need someone to talk to, I'd be happy to listen."

Scorpius jerked his hand away and rose unsteadily to his feet. He needed to think about everything, needed some time alone. Before he could Apparate away, however, Rose climbed out of Al's window. "Scorpius!" she called. "I'm so glad you are here! Today has been miserable."

He watched her approach and allowed her to embrace him. "I can't stay," he choked out.

Rose lifted her face to his; her eyes were full of concern. "You alright?"

He nodded, more from habit than from conviction. She started to move away, but he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers roughly. He hadn't planned to do it, hadn't planned to kiss her. But some part of his body recognized that this might be the last time they touched and refused to let him leave without tasting her again.

After a few moments, he forced himself to break away and take a step back.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Rose asked, touching her fingers to her lips and looking confused.

"I… I don't know," he told her truthfully and then Apparated to the Manor before he gave into his own weakness and pulled her back into his arms.

Two evenings later, Scorpius sat in his grandmother's flower garden brooding. He'd spent the last forty-eight hours contemplating Lily's words. He hadn't been able to recall any evidence that Rose had shown the slightest interest in him prior to Zabini losing his chance of becoming Head Boy.

Scorpius knew he wasn't handsome enough, or exciting enough, or even charming enough for a girl like her to pursue him unless she had an ulterior motive. Rose had even warned him that she was always planning and scheming to get what she wanted. And if she had wanted to date the Head Boy – well it didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out what she'd been up to. Unfortunately, the owl he sent an hour ago breaking up with her did little to appease to his wounded heart and pride.

As he turned away from the Manor to look at fields beyond the gardens, he was startled to see a figure striding toward him. His throat closed up and his heart began to thump loudly in his chest when he recognized that the person approaching him was Rose. He was beyond shocked. Malfoy Manor had some of the best wards in the Wizarding World, so she should not have been able to get through. "You can't be here," he told her when she finally reached him.

"Obviously, I can, since here I stand," she replied, glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"I mean, you shouldn't be here," he replied, feeling disgusted with himself at how much he wanted to reach out and touch her.

"Damn straight I shouldn't be here. You should on Al's roof right now, apologizing profusely for sending that cowardly owl, asking for my forgiveness, and begging me to take you back," she informed him with a toss of her head.

Scorpius looked at Rose like she had lost her mind. "I admit sending that owl wasn't the classiest thing I've ever done, but…"

"I don't want to hear any lame excuses. All I want to hear is 'I'm sorry, Rose. Please be my girlfriend again.' If you can say it in a suitably grovelling tone, I'll even try not to throw this back in you face a few thousand times over the next twenty years."

_The next twenty years?! The girl was mental._ "Give it up, Weasley. Lily told me all about your goal to date the Head Boy during your last year," Scorpius fumed. "I refuse to be a pawn in whichever of your plans is currently unfolding."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Lily's an idiot, but you are a bigger idiot for listening to her."

"So you deny it? You deny that you're dating me because you think I'll be Head Boy?"

"Good Godric, Malfoy. You've got everything arse-backwards. You are going to be Head Boy because I've wanted to date _you_ since Fifth Year." She looked irritated, pointing at him with one hand while the other still rested on her hip.

"What?!"

"I decided right after I turned sixteen that we were going to end up together. I figured as long as we were moving in that direction it would be beneficial to the both of us if you also ended up as Head Boy."

Scorpius shook his head, stunned at her words. "It took you two years to figure out how to get me to date you?"

"No," she sniffed trying to look haughty despite the blush covering her cheeks. "It was a year and a half. Besides, dating you wasn't the _only_ thing I was working on at the time. I had some Quidditch things to work out, the House Cup to secure for Slytherin, and I had to insure that Zabini wouldn't get selected Head Boy."

Scorpius was thankful he wasn't standing, because he felt more and more disoriented the longer he talked to Rose. "You dated Zabini last year in order to make sure I would become Head Boy."

"Mostly," she admitted with a nod. "I mean dating him was essential to getting lots of playing time on the Quidditch field and getting out of several detentions."

Scorpius looked up at her and couldn't decide whether it was worse if Rose was lying or if she was telling the truth. Either way, he was certain he was in way over his head with her. "Why me?"

Rose sat next to Scorpius and took his hand in hers. "I like you because you are honest, stable, and straightforward; too much of my life is filled with subterfuge and deception. I need the people I'm close to, the people who mean something to me, to be exactly as they appear."

"You like me because I'm simple?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

Rose giggled and squeezed his hand. "I like you because you don't try to hide who you are and what you want. I like you because you are clever and aren't afraid to show it. I like you because you are good-looking and your kisses make my toes curl."

Scorpius gave her a half-smile. "Seriously?"

Rose nodded. "Cross my heart."

He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. He wondered briefly if she would eventually break his heart or his spirit or run off with his pride, but right now all he wanted to do was revel in the fact that she had chosen him. She had chosen him for the essential characteristics that made up his personality. She believed she needed these qualities in her life. This awareness swelled Scorpius' heart and caused him to clutch her tightly to his chest.

When he finally pulled away, Rose smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with deep emotion. "Remind me. What did you come here to listen to me say?" he asked.

Her smile broadened. "I'm sorry, Rose. Please be my girlfriend again."

Scorpius glanced at her lips, trying not to focus on how beautiful she looked after having been kissed. "I'm sorry, Rose. Please be my girl again."

With a barely discernible nod, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him more genuinely and passionately than she ever had before.

-0-0-0-

Scorpius brushed his robes off as he stepped out of the prefects' compartment on the Hogwarts Express. He'd just finished holding his first meeting as Head Boy and was pleased with how well everything had run. He began to move down the corridor when Lily, who was a sixth year Gryffindor prefect, stepped out of the compartment and grabbed his arm.

"Scorpius, I need to discuss something with you."

"Sure. What's up?" he replied, standing a bit straighter to maintain his look of authority.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything in front of the rest of the prefects, but I'm not sure I agree with older prefects having to patrol with the younger ones," she told him, making a face.

"You don't agree that a Fifth Year patrolling with a Sixth or a Seventh Year will have an easier time reprimanding older students than two Fifth years working together?" he asked, raising his eyebrow the way he'd watched his father do a thousand times.

"Of course I do. I guess I'm more upset with whom I'm paired," Lily pouted.

"What's wrong with Stephen Whitby?"

"He eats his own bogies!" Lily hissed.

Scorpius could not prevent a look of disgust from crossing his face, although it suddenly became clear why Rose had suggested that he pair Lily with Whitby on patrols. "It's only for one term, Lily. Surely you can ignore his rather disgusting personal habits for four months."

"I should have known _you_ wouldn't understand," she huffed before flouncing back into the prefect compartment.

Releasing a deep breath, Scorpius made his way to the car set aside for the Head Boy and Girl. Upon entering, he found Rose curled up on one of the seats with Scorpius' ancient runes textbook open in her lap.

"Sorry that you never took runes?" he joked, sitting next to her.

"Definitely," she smiled, tossing his book aside and leaning up against him. "That's two more hours a week I could have been spending with you."

Scorpius smiled in spite of the fact that he knew she was just turning on the charm. "What are you doing in here, anyway?" he asked. "It's supposed to be impossible to come in this compartment unless accompanied by either the Head Boy or Girl."

She shrugged, looking innocent. "Maybe the ward is messed up. I just walked right in all by my lonesome. Perhaps you should hang a sign on the door until it gets straightened out."

Scorpius leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on Rose's lips. _Merlin, the more time I spend with this girl, the more I adore her,_ he thought. "Too bad, we can't do anything more… energetic in here. Karen Midgen might walk in during the trip."

"Not a problem," Rose grinned, snuggling closer to him. "Anyone who approaches the door to this car will suddenly have a desire to give a detention to a Gryffindor."

He laughed at her ingenuity. "Where in the world did you learn to do that? I'm certain it isn't in Flitwick's lesson plans."

"When you are raised by an Auror and the smartest witch of her generation it's easy to pick up a few tricks here and there," she explained.

Scorpius slipped his arms tightly around Rose as he kissed her more forcefully than before. In spite of his initial reservations, the spirited red-head had convinced him that she wanted to be _his_ girlfriend, that she enjoyed spending time with him, and that he was essential to her happiness. Her obvious affection for him had increased Scorpius' own comfort and confidence in their relationship. He knew he was tottering on the edge of falling in love with the vibrant witch and the prospect was growing less and less scary everyday.

When he pulled back, Rose smiled up at him. She looked more content than he'd ever seen her. "This is going to best year ever," she told him.

"Why? Because you are Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team?" he teased.

She shook her head. "No. Although being Captain is going to be bloody awesome, this year will be great because I'll be spending so much of it with you."

Scorpius could only grin in response, as his heart seemed to be surging into his throat, blocking off all verbal communications. Instead, he pulled Rose onto his lap and snogged her passionately, believing all the while that she was right. This would be the best year ever.

The End

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